Saturday

Destination Wedding Guide


Destination weddings are usually very intimate and low stress, but there are still a lot of things to think about while going through the planning process.   Here are a few tips from the mind of a wedding planner (and the internet):
Hire a Local Event Planner:  Hiring a local planner who knows the area and will have references for vendors isn’t necessary but it is probably the easiest way to plan your destination wedding.  They know the area, will have references and know which vendors to work with and which to avoid and they can handle all the to do items that require an in person touch.  To find a planner, visit TheKnot.com or other wedding planning sites.
Create a website:  Having a website will keep your guest in the loop.  If you decide to go all digital, it can also save you money on printing invitations. Places likeThe Knot or Wedding Tracker have some great features for a customizable wedding website.  However, its good to remember that there are some folks out there who are digitally impaired and will need some sort of paper invitation or a push to get on the digital wave.
Save the Date cards:  Save the Date cards are extremely important in a destination wedding.  You want to give your guests enough notice to plan their trip and book their flight and hotels in advance.  The usual time line for “Save the Dates” is four to six months.  
Think of the guests:  I know its not number one on your priority list since it is in fact your day, but little touches like having a list of “Things to do” for your guests makes your wedding memorable for everyone.  Research the local attractions around the wedding site and include them in your invitations. 
Transportation and lodging:  A transportation plan is very helpful, especially for a beach or tropical wedding.  Look into renting a shuttle to take guests from their hotel to the wedding site and back.  Also, a list of hotels and other places to stay are very helpful.  Look into booking a block of hotel rooms at a discounted rate and let your guests know how to get in on the deal.  
After Wedding Receptions:  A great way to continue the party and include friends or co-workers that couldn’t make it to the wedding is to have a reception at home.  They can be as low key or fancy as you want them to be.  It all depends on your tastes and budgets!  
Gifts:  Extra luggage is expensive now-a-days.  If you are registered anywhere, make sure guests know how to get those gifts to you.  Whether its sending the gift to your home or just getting a gift card to the stores you are registered at.  Other options are to have guests donate to your honey moon fund  or to a non-profit organization that the two of you feel strongly about. 
Insurance:  Tropical destination weddings could mean hurricane’s or other inclement weather and can you trust the airlines with your gown? Um...probably not so much.  Several sites suggest wedding insurance. A few places that offer insurance are WedSafe or WedSure.  For more information on wedding insurance go here or here

Check it out:  If finances allow, a quick vacation to visit your destination will help you get a feel for the big day.  Before you go, have a list of action items like:  finding a venue, a florist, an officiant, catering if its needed, etc.  Make sure to try different restaurants in the area and find the one that will suit you best for a reception.
Weddings at Sea:  If you aren’t big on planning everything and searching tirelessly for respected vendors in your destination, consider a cruise.  These are typically all inclusive and the price can’t be beat.  
Tweeting and Other Social Media Uses:
I will be talking more about Social Media in wedding and event planning in a later post, but social media is a great tool for destination weddings so I decided to touch on it in this post.  For guests that aren’t able to make it to the big event, you can have a live streaming feed using tools like UStream.  Update the guests with a link to the live feed, and your friends and family can watch the ceremony and even parts of the reception like the toasts, or first dance.  You could also set up a Twitter account to allow friends and family to send you there well-wishes from afar or even upload pictures they take during the day.  For something fun at the reception, have a tweeting station set up with a projector and screen so all the well-wishes and photos of the day can be viewed by everyone.  If you don’t want to bring all that equipment with you, find a local place that will rent it out or see if your venue has it on hand.

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